Sometimes the role of an interpreter is not fully appreciated in a meeting, a negotiation, a conference or a press interview.
Some say you know the interpreter was professional if you didn’t notice them, i.e. they blended in, not becoming a hindrance but a means to easy communication.
In a nice article by The Diplomat, the importance of translation could not be overstated in the recent success of President Trump’s recent visit to South Korea.
Host, President Moon’s, interpreter had obviously done their homework and used a little creative interpretation to smooth the way for improved relations between the two heads of state.
The interpreter, who has since been praised by South Korean media, used the word “deplorable” which has become an auspicious talisman for Trump since Hilary Clinton used the term to describe white conservatives during her presidential campaign in 2016. This is considered the turning-point for the Trump campaign as he began to gain political ground from that moment.
Trump, who was pleasantly surprised by the use of the term, even commented on the excellent lexical choice, stating, “I’m happy you used the world ‘deplorable.’ I was very interested in that word.” It certainly seemed to lighten the atmosphere between the two heads of state at the United Nations General Assembly, as initially the mood had been tense while they discussed the Free-Trade agreement between the two countries.
This isn’t the first time that translation has helped bridge the gap between the two cultures.
In 1993, the then South Korean President Kim Yong-sam, met with Bill Clinton and used the meeting as an opportunity to offer a traditional brush-written scroll, written by himself, containing the Chinese idiom; Dae-Do-Mu-Moon(大道無門) which literally means “righteousness overcomes all obstacles.” Clinton, who was unfamiliar with the meaning, failed to grasp its significance and so it fell Kim’s senior translator, Park Jin, to interpret it as “a freeway has no tollgate” which allowed Clinton to fully appreciate the gift.
Park has a solid history of interpreting sensitive situations and diffusing them in an attempt to avoid a political crisis. He was the interpreter for Kim during a phone call with Clinton in 1994 following a North Korean nuclear crisis in which Kim made the forceful complaint “and you call this an alliance?” However, Park’s indirect interpretation was far more moderate becoming “how can we describe our relationship as a sound relationship?” Park’s lexical choices were significant in ensuring a diplomatic end to the matter.
Proficient translation should never be overlooked or undervalued; sensitivity to localisation, negotiation, tact, knowledge of language, and, most importantly, how to use it, are essential elements when dealing with translation for business, personal, sporting, or, even international political matters.
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